Safety device for fuel tanks



Feb. 10, 1 931. STRINDYBERG 1,792,198

SAFETY DEVICE FOR FUEL TANKS Filed July 5, 1927 0 00000000000000900006000 0 OGQOOOO'OQQOOOO a ooaeonooaooooaoccouoooaooooa INVENTOR M ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 10, 1931 RICHARD s'rnrlvi isnns,

; *sArn'rY nnvron ronrirnntralvxs Application filed July 5, '1927;-' sriai No. 203,335. I

a This invention relates to safety devices for duel tanks, and has forits primary object and purpose to provide a fuel inlet attachment "more particularly designed for usein con- 5 nection with the gasoline supply tank ota "motor vehicle which will preclude the-.p'os-.

' 5 sibility'of the accidental dropping of a match or flame into the tank and thereby obviating-the explosion thereof.

' It is also another objectof my invention ring portion of the bushing which is of sheetmetal has spaced portions of its walltpro jected inwardly,-thereby forming openings through said wall and providing a plurality -of tongues or lugs thereon whichserve to space the 'end' of the supply nozzle from the.

,wall. of'the bushing. An elongated screen cylinder sur-roundsthe bushingwaH and extends over the openings therein,said-cylinder efiectually preventing the passageof the.

match or flame inwardly through said? openings while permitting of the free egress of air thjerethro'ugh from theinterior of the tank.

"It isjalso a further: generalobject of-Iny' invention to provide a devicefor the above purpo'sewhieh may-be readily applied to the ordinary fuel tank without necessitating. any

structural alterations therein and which is of such simple construct on thatlt maybe pro d-ucedat very low manufacturing cost.

With the above'and other objects in view, I theinventionconsists in the improved safety device for fueltanks and in the form',-co n- *struction and relative arrangement of- -1ts several'parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying.

drawings, andsubsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

;;--In the drawings, wherein I- one simple. and practical embodiment loi-my gpresent improvements, andln which s milar s Par s 1}te si e fie e iel e r nozzle being indicatedin dotted lines, and u Fig.1 3 is'a hormontalsectwn taken sub T of a fueltank, suchfor instance as is com-' .pee nil reference. characters designate correspondingizthe device-applied tothe wall ol afuel tanr- I f a Fig.2 is, a top plan'view,the fuel supply stantially on the line 3-3 ofFiggl;

In the drawing, for purposes of illustration, Ihave shown a section'of the-top Wall monly provided upon'inotor vehicles, said -.tank-wall having anopening #of proper predetermined diameter to receive the. fuel inlet bushing or nipple. As herein shown, the: fuel inlet bushing is formed from sheet metal of the required gauge or thickness and includes a body wall'section 5 of such external diameter that it may be snugly fittedthrough or BRADFORD, r'n'ivnsrLvANIA, AssrGNoR To ANDERS JORDAHL, or New YGRK; N. Y.

. -Figure'1 is a vertical sectionaliview showso i the opening t in the tank wall. At the outer end ;.of;;-t he bushing, this body wall section is provided with a laterally, extending'annular flange 6,.which is preferably slightly inclined of the bushing so that only the outer-edge portion of said flange has bearing contact J upon theou-ter surface of the tank wall, T to which said' edge portion of theflange is permanently-attached or fixed, preferably by welding or a suitable solder, At the-juncq ture of the flange 6 with the body wall section 5,-an annular bead 7.is formed in-the metal sheet-provldlng a convex seating surinternally formed with suitable threads indicated at 8 to receivethis closure plug.

froma .90 angle with respect to the axis iace for a suitable packing gasketindicated at G which is carried by the standard closure pflug P; The section 5 0f the bushing'wallis The; bushing also includes an inner end section"S ot relatively small diameter concentrically related with the section '5 and integrally connected therewith by the annular f The 'section9 provided in its wall ata plurality; of circumferentially spaced points with-thev longitudinally elon- "7 gated openings- 11, preferably? formed by 1 punching the metal-sheet inwardly, thereby producing the internally projecting'fiangeor lug 12at one edge of each ofthese openings. .In spacedir'elation f t o the'openi'ngs '11 andbetheannular portion 10 of the bushing.

tween the same and the free end edge of the bushing section'9, the wall thereof is pressed inwardly to provide an external annular groove 13, the purpose of-which will be presently explained.

Tothe endsection 9 of the'bushingabo ve described, one'end of a foraminous cylinder 14 is adapted to be attached. shown, thiscylinder may conveniently consist of relatively thin perforated she etjmetal forming an elongated screen cylinder, one end of which is closed by a-siinilarly, perfor: ated plate 15. At its other or open. end, a flanged ring 16 is preferably securedto the outer side of the cylinder wall. In longitudina lly spaced relation from this ring, the

cylinder wall ispr'ovided with an internal annular bead 17. I

Before applyi'ngthe filling bushing secu'ring'the same to the wall. of the tank, the reduced end portion 9*of the bushing is fitted within the open end of the screen cylinder 14, theinternal diameter of which is such as toprovidefa close frictional fit of the cylinderwall upon the external surface 0f the bushing wall. As the end ofthe' "bushing strikes the internal bead 17 on the "cylinder wall, the cylinder Wall is slightly 7 expanded until said bead finally snaps into 7 the externalannular groove 13 of the bush ,ing wall, and the flange of the ring 16 comes into abutting contact with theunder side of Thus the screen cylinder is securely locked in 'connection with the bushing and With the Wall of said "cylinder extending 'overjthe' several openings 11 in the wall "of the bushing'section 9. The perforation's 'in the screen cylinder wall are of such size that it is not possible for 'a lighted match or other flainee to pass inwardly throughsaidperforations,

thus precluding the possibilityofthe ignitank from this cause.

iifter the bushing and the screen cylinder have been connected andthe bushing secured tion and eXplosion of the contents of the to the wall of the 'tankwithin the opening thereof asaboveexplained, the outer ope'nend of the bushing is tightlyclo'sed by means of the'plug P. When it is desired to replenish the tank with fuel, the plug P isunscrewed and removed, and the end of the supply nozzle on the flexible hose or tubefsuchfas is commonly seen at gasoline filling stations is" inserted within the "bushing. The inwardly projecting tongues or flanges -12on the hushing wall are of such width that the tapered end-of the supply nozzle may be' fitt'ed be tween the until the-nozzle wall rests upt jue upper ends 'of-said flanges. Thus,

i nll' lre d fiemi ff 'n'ss t Fi 219'? "the dj favihg iti i i li nozzl i p- :po fed I inflsp"ace dg 'concentric frelation f't'o "the L a s ife'cl eqf the businesses; 119- A the "gasoline "enters the tank through the- .through the open end of the bushing.

As herein e and screen cylinder M, the displaced air may find free egress from said tank through the perforations of the screen cylinder 14 and the openings 11, and hence outwardly Thus splashing of. the gasoline or other liquid fuel outwardlythrough the bushingopening due to inadequate provision for the escape of displaced air will be obviated. V I roin the above' description considered 1n "connection with the accompanying drawing, it willbe .seen that I have devlsed a Very "througlithe lfilling bushing while the .plug

is removedtherefrom, it-wi-l-l be caught in the screen cylinder 14:, thereby preventing vthe ignition of :the fuel 'contentsof the tank;

The device being constructed of simply formed sheet'm'etal parts (it isappare nt .that the same may be provided as standard equipment on automobile :fuel tanks; without appreciable increase productioncostsi However, it will be obvious that said device may also be produced in -.various other sizes and employed inJconnection-with other ,fuelcontai-ning :tanks or receptacles. Likewise, while have herein disclosed a preferred form of the improved lfillinglbushin'g and a simple inexpensive nietho'dof providing the same with the nozzle positioning flanges or lugs 12, it is toyb'e understood that this hashing construction is susceptible of more or less variation in the form, construction and relative arr'angenient ofits several parts, and -I therefore, reserve the privilege of-em- -bo'dying-.-tl1e essential"characteristics of my present-disclosure in such other alternative structural forms as may qbe "fairly Lincorporatedfwithin the "spirit andscope of the apfixed'to the container "wail, 'circumfe'rentially spaced sections of the bushing wall adjacent its other end being projected inwardly to form a plurality of opening's and :an inward- ;1ypr'ojeeting= 1ugat one edge of each-opening, 's'aid lugs adapted to support a fuel 'supb'ly 'nozzl'e in. spaced relation to tlre wall of the bushing to pro'videya passage therebetween for the f-fee egress "ofair from the interio of the container 'thr oughsaidopenings; a 2. -In combination witha fuel tank ha -ving an openingiin a wall "thereof, a' busliing ex readin imagery*u rgughsgia opening'z ro- Wlth" fplural ityof air egress openings ni -its wall, and an elongated screen cylinder open at one of its ends to receive the latter'end portion of the bushing, said end of the screen in the wall thereof with a plurality of circumferentially spaced air egress openings, and an internallyprojecting lug at one edge of each of the openings adapted to support a fuel supply nozzle in spaced relation to said openings.

4. As an improved article of'manufacture, a sheet metal fuel inlet bushing for fuel conto provide inwardly projecting lugsoutstanding from' the inner wall of the bushing to receive and support a fuel supply nozzle when inserted in the bushing and to hold the nozzle in spaced relation to the wall of the bushing and freely venting the container during filling.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as I my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

RICHARD STRINDBERG.

tainers having an internally threaded end section to receive a closure plug, the bushing wall in spaced relation to said threaded sec- 7 tion being provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings and an internally projecting lug at one edge of each of said openings adapted to support a fuel supply nozzle in spaced relation to said openings. l v

5. As an improved article of manufacture,

. a filling bushing for insertionthrough an opening in the wall of a fuel container, said bushing having means at one end adapted to be secured to the outer face of the container wall, the other end portion of the bushing being reduced in diameter and provided with a plurality of spaced internally projecting lugs below the upper end of said reduced portion adapted tolimit the insertion of a fuel supply nozzle through the bushing and 7 support said nozzle in spaced non-contacting relation to the wall of the reduced portion of the bushing.

6. A filling bushing for fuel tanks comprising a hollow body portion adapted for positioning through the Wall of the tank, means for securing the bushing at its outer end to said wall of the tank, said body portion having stamped and inwardly bent lugs projecting. from its inner wall adapted to engage a fuel supply nozzle when inserted in the bushing to hold the nozzle out of contact with said inner wall and permit free escape of air from the container during fill- I. A filling bushing for fuel tanks comprising a hollow body portion adapted to be fitted through the wall of a fuel tank, means for securing the outer end of the body portion to the wall of the tank, said body portion having lugs stamped and struck inwardlyfrom the wall thereof to provide openings through the sides of the bushing near said wall and 

